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Celestial
Events Calendar
February, Februarius, before Julius Caesar this was the last
month of the year on the Roman calendar. Dedicated to the rites of purification
and the dead, the februa.
Monday, February 2, 2004:
Candelmas
or Ground Hog Day – one of the cross quarter day, halfway between the
winter solstice and the spring
equinox.
Capricornid/Sagittarid radio
meteor shower – medium rate
4 AM CST – Neptune is in
conjunction with the Sun, the Sun is exactly between the Earth and Neptune. The
planet is no longer visible in the west just after sunset but is now visible
just before Sunrise in the east.
Friday, February 6, 2004:
12 AM CST – Mercury is at
aphelion, the point in its orbit where Mercury is furthest from the Sun ~ 43
million miles
2:49 AM CST – Full Moon,
Snow, Hunger or Wolf moon
Sunday, February 8, 2004:
Alpha Centaurid meteor
shower – active Jan 28 – Feb 21., ZHR = 25 meteors/hour, best in the southern
hemisphere
Wednesday, February 11, 2004:
The Sun is 14.27 minutes behind the clock ( yearly
minimum). At high noon it will still take another 14.27 minutes for the Sun to
reach its highest point in the sky. Throughout the year the apparent position
of the Sun at high noon varies East and West due to the Earth’s motion around
the Sun being faster when the Earth is closer to the Sun in January
(perihelion).
Thursday, February 12, 2004:
3:46 PM CST – The Moon is at its
descending node. Because the orbit of the Earth and Moon are in different
planes, the Moon’s orbit takes the Moon from north of the Earth’s orbital plane
(also called the ecliptic, traced out by the apparent daily motion of the Sun)
to south of the plane once a month.
Friday, February 13, 2004:
Friday the 13th – Both
the day and the number are traditionally unlucky. Since Sundays occur more
often on the 1st of the month than any other day, Fridays occur more
often on the 13th of the month.
7:40 AM CST – Last Quarter
Moon
Saturday, February 14, 2004:
St.
Valentine’s Day – traditionally a day for exchanging love poems
Chi
Capricornid radio meteor shower – low rate
Sunday, February 15, 2004:
11 AM CST – Mercury is about 1.9o
south southeast of Neptune 13o degrees from the Sun in the morning
sky.
Monday, February 16, 2004:
2 AM CST –
The Moon is at the point in its orbit where it is closest to the Earth
perigee ~ 231,000 miles
Tuesday, February 17, 2004:
7 PM CST –
The apparent position of the Sun enters the constellation of Aquarius
8 PM CST –
Venus is at its ascending node through the ecliptic plane.
Thursday, February 19, 2004:
The Sun
enters the astrological sign of Pisces, although astronomically it is in
Aquarius.
Friday, February 20, 2004:
3:20 AM CST
– New Moon, the beginning of lunation cycle # 1004
Sunday, February 22, 2004:
Muslim new year, actually begins the
day before at sunset.
8 PM CST –
Uranus is at conjunction with the Sun, that is, the Sun is between the Earth
and Uranus. Uranus is now visible just before sunrise instead of just after
sunset.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004:
Mardi Gras – “Fat Tuesday”, The day before
Lent begins.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004:
Ash
Wednesday, the 1st day of Lent
Delta
Leonid meteor shower – active Feb. 15 – mar. 10, ZHR = 2 meteors/hour, slow
& faint
Thursday, February 26, 2004:
6:15 PM CST – The Moon is at its
ascending node.
Saturday, February 28, 2004:
9:24 PM CST
– First Quarter Moon
5 AM CST –
The Moon is at apogee, the point in its orbit where it is furthest from the
Earth.
Sunday, February 29, 2004:
Leap Day
– An extra day is added every four years except century years but not those
divisible by 440, for example, 2000, so that the tropical and civilian
calendars agree closely.